Kitabı oku: «Her Cowboy Inheritance», sayfa 2

Chapter Two

Shane didn’t need anything from the sale barn, but he stopped by the Wednesday livestock auction just the same. It was a good chance to socialize with the other ranchers in the area and to keep up on the news. Most folks wouldn’t call Columbine Springs a happening place, but if you wanted to know what was happening, at least among the ranchers, the sale barn was where you’d find out.

“Hey, Shane!” Arnold Hastings, one of the old-timers, gave him a wave. “We were just talking about that bull of yours. Ol’ Mike was wanting to add a new bloodline to his herd. I told him that you won’t find a finer bull than Big Red.”

Given that Arnold had his own prize-winning bull, it was a fine compliment. “Thank you. I appreciate it. Do they have anything good for sale today?”

Arnold shook his head as he chewed on a piece of hay. “Nope. Bobby’s trying to get rid of that old mare of his again, but he can’t seem to get it through his thick skull that no one wants that useless mare. ’Bout all she’s good for is being led around on a rope. Even then, the creature is better off being put out to pasture. But since Bobby’s little girl won a bunch of buckles on her barrel racing, he’s sure someone’s going to be willing to pay a lot of money for her.”

An image of the little boys next door came to mind. Shane hadn’t been back since he met them last week. He’d wanted to give them time, but he also wasn’t sure how to approach them since Leah had made it clear she didn’t want him there.

He’d promised the boys he’d teach them the rules about horses, and then they could ride. But none of his mounts were suitable for children, especially the little one. Natalie had taken her horse when she and Gina had left.

“There’s nothing wrong with my horse,” Bobby said, joining the conversation. “Belle is a great mare, and she’d be perfect for someone with kids. She won a lot of buckles for my Sara.”

Just then, a lightbulb went off. The problem was, Leah didn’t want him butting into her life. But if she did warm up to the idea of having him around for the sake of the boys...

“How much do you want for her?” Shane asked.

Bobby grinned. “I told Frank I wouldn’t take less than five grand. But for you, I’d take two and a half.”

Was he seriously considering spending twenty-five hundred dollars on a horse for a couple of kids he wasn’t even sure would get to ride it?

He hesitated.

“Now, Shane, that’s a good deal, and you know it.”

Arnold snorted. “You just offered that mare to Jimmy Ball for two grand last week.”

“And he’s real interested, so you better make it quick.”

The last thing he needed was another animal to feed. Not with things so uncertain now that he wasn’t sure if the women would let him graze his cattle at Helen’s ranch. He’d intended to ask them, but as firm as Leah had been in sending him away, he was having his lawyer draw up an agreement, so everything was in writing. He and Helen hadn’t needed one, but the women seemed like they would want it.

“I’m not interested,” Shane said. “I was just curious what you were asking, in case I run into someone in need of a retired barrel-racing horse.”

At the word retired, Arnold snickered. Bobby glared at him and started to speak, but before Shane could figure out what he was saying, a familiar voice rang out.

“I’m here to buy some cows.”

Leah.

At least now he knew they intended to work the land themselves, so they probably wouldn’t be interested in leasing him the land for grazing. Good thing he hadn’t jumped on the horse offer, since now he’d be figuring out a new financial plan.

“I ain’t seen her around before,” Bobby said. “Look at that. There’s two of ’em.”

Three, actually, but Shane wasn’t going to correct him.

Arnold got out of his chair. “I wonder if those are the girls who inherited the old Wanamaker place. Helen was making noises about leaving it to her ex’s kids. Don’t know why. It’s not like they’re family or anything. I figured they’d probably sell the place and move on.”

As Arnold chattered on about what he thought of the situation, Shane walked over to Leah.

“Nice to see you again,” he said, approaching her.

“Likewise.” She didn’t sound like she meant it. “I believe you know my sister Erin.”

Shane tipped his hat to her. “Ma’am.” Then he looked around. “Where are the boys?”

Leah gave him the same irritated look she’d given him when he’d asked her questions the day they’d met. Maybe she just looked irritated all the time. Which would be a shame because, other than the angry lines on her face, she was downright pretty. Dark brown hair, brown eyes, pink lips...what was he doing?

“They’re not lost, if that’s what you’re implying,” Leah said. “They’re home with our sister Nicole, who has a degree in early childhood education.”

Great. He was trying to be polite, and she took it as an insult. “I didn’t mean anything by it. I was asking after them, so I could say hi.”

Erin leaned in to say something to Leah, who nodded. Leah turned her attention back to him. “I’m sorry. I misunderstood. I’m a little sensitive where my kids are concerned.”

A little? Shane was tempted to say something, but Leah already looked like she was hankering for a fight.

“No harm done,” Shane said instead. “What brings you to the sale barn today? I heard you asking about cows. I have a herd of my own. I could help if you want.”

Most people didn’t look like they wanted to bite his head off when he was trying to be neighborly. Maybe his original theory of Leah always looking cranky wasn’t too far off the mark.

“We’re going to turn it back into a working ranch,” Erin said, sounding way more cheerful than her sister. “We’ve decided to call it Three Sisters Ranch, and it’s our fresh start. I’ve been studying brands, and I think I’ve come up with the perfect one. So now, all we need are some cows.”

And a lick of common sense. But at least Erin seemed excited about the plan. Whereas Leah...

Leah just looked weary. Like the last place on earth she wanted to be was at the sale barn, picking out cows for their new ranch adventure. Did they have any idea what they were getting into?

“How many cows are you thinking of getting?”

Maybe the best way to handle the situation was to ask them questions so that they would realize that there was more to ranching than buying cows.

Erin’s face lit up. She was pretty, too, but not in the same way as Leah. Erin naturally seemed like the sort to smile a lot and be happy, which should have made her more attractive. But it was Leah who drew him. Of course he would be attracted to the difficult one. Why make it easy on himself?

“Oh, I don’t know,” Erin said. “I’d like some of those cute black-and-white ones, and Nicole wants us to see if we can find some Highland cows. She fell in love with them when she went to Scotland, and now that we have a ranch, we’re going to get her some.”

How did you explain to someone that their idea was completely crazy when they were so clearly excited?

“You know the cute black-and-white ones are dairy cows, right?”

He hoped he didn’t sound too condescending, because that was sure to set Leah off. But the ranch wasn’t set up for a dairy operation. If they bought dairy cows, they’d be throwing their money away.

“We don’t know anything about cows,” Leah said slowly. Then she muttered, “I knew this was too good to be true.”

Erin nudged her. “Stop being the little black rain cloud. That’s what the internet is for. We’ve also got books in Helen’s library. She must’ve owned every book ever written about ranching.”

He hadn’t expected the lump that formed in his throat at her words. Helen had loved books, and in the early days of his ranch, she’d often lent him the ones she thought he’d find most helpful. Before she’d passed, she’d given him a few of her most treasured books.

“She did love her books,” Shane said, hoping they didn’t hear the catch in his voice. “She gave me a few of her favorites when she got sick, if you’d like to look at them.”

At the mention of Helen, the women exchanged another set of looks, communicating something he couldn’t understand, yet, for some reason, he wanted to.

“I didn’t realize she was sick,” Leah said quietly. “We didn’t know much about her later years, and it feels weird to be given such a gift when we weren’t close. Thank you for being there to take care of her.”

The obvious sympathy in her voice softened his heart. Perhaps he’d been too hasty in dismissing her as cranky. There was a gentleness in her eyes that seemed to peek out from the wariness at unexpected moments.

Erin linked arms with her sister. “Yes, thank you. We have good memories of her, and we hated not being in better touch. But with things being the way they were, it wasn’t possible.”

He’d heard enough stories about the Colonel to know that with the way he ruled the family, even if the girls had tried to stay in touch, he wouldn’t have allowed it. At the sadness in their voices, he couldn’t help wondering if they felt the same deep sense of loss when their father and Helen had divorced.

Maybe there was more to Leah’s attitude than he could see. If it had been any other woman, he’d have declared her as having too much baggage and run the other way. But remembering the sadness on Helen’s face as she talked about her poor girls, he knew he had no choice but to see it through.

“Water under the bridge,” he said. “Helen understood your situation, and I never heard her speak anything but love toward you all. That’s why she asked me to look after you and help out if you needed it.”

Too bad he hadn’t done a good job of it so far. Helen would have boxed his ears for sure if she’d been capable of such things. He’d let Leah’s anger keep him away when he should have been trying harder to help them.

“We do appreciate the advice you’ve given us. I guess we have a little more reading to do before we buy any livestock,” Leah said, starting to turn away.

Erin let out a long sigh as she followed her sister. “We have to start turning a profit soon,” she muttered.

“We’ll figure it out.” He could hear Leah’s words as they walked over to sign up for the auction.

She might be willing to figure it out, but they were going to be in for a world of hurt if they were so ignorant as to walk into a sale barn, hoping to buy cows based on how cute they were.

He jogged to catch up with them. “Let me help you. A lot of the cows they have here today aren’t worth buying, and I’m familiar with all the local ranchers. They don’t mean to cheat anyone, but they would have no problem taking money from someone who doesn’t know any better.”

The sisters exchanged a look, then Leah nodded. “We don’t have a lot of money to waste, so we appreciate the help.”

It seemed a hard-won agreement, but he was glad that she could at least see sense. He recognized that wary expression in her eyes again, and it struck him harder than he’d expected. Though Helen had told him about the girls’ rough childhood, he also hadn’t expected to see how it had impacted them as adults. To have it impact him. He’d grown up in a different but equally unstable situation. That kind of life where you’re afraid to trust or lean on anyone too much, because you know they’ll be gone soon, and you’ll be stuck on your own, trying to figure things out.

No wonder the sisters were so quick to shove him aside and not want his help. They wanted to do it on their own because they figured that, at some point, he’d be gone and they’d have to rely on themselves again.

So how could he show them that he wasn’t going anywhere?

More important, how could he be there for them without ending up the fool, running around taking care of them, only to be dropped when a bigger, better deal came through?

These women needed rescuing. He liked to be the hero. But he was tired of being taken advantage of and abandoned when he wasn’t needed anymore.

Still, he gave a nod as he led them deeper into the sale barn.

* * *

There wasn’t a single cow to be had. At least none worth buying, according to Shane. Even though Leah hated being so reliant on him, as he patiently explained to her what he was looking at as he examined each cow, she was glad for his expert opinion. He’d even stopped Leah from buying the pretty chicken, which had turned out to be a rooster, so it would have also been useless to them.

What was the point in inheriting a ranch when you couldn’t do anything with it? Helen had leased out the land, but it was for such a small sum, Leah and her sisters wouldn’t have enough money to live off of. According to Helen’s old records, the ranch had once been a thriving business. Surely, it could be successful once again.

Yes, they now had a place to live, and with Leah’s financial situation, it was a real blessing. Erin hadn’t gotten any money out of her divorce, since her ex wanted to keep the house, and it was worth less than what they’d paid for it when they’d bought it. She’d considered herself lucky to have been able to walk away. Nicole had never made a lot as a preschool teacher, so she didn’t have much money, either. Needless to say, the sisters needed some way to make money to keep food in their stomachs and the lights on. They’d gotten a ranch, yes, but the attorney had very apologetically told the women that Helen didn’t leave much in the way of cash.

So how were they supposed to make money? Based on the budget they’d come up with, they had about six months to figure it out.

“Let me buy you ladies a cup of coffee,” Shane said, indicating a café down the street. “I know you must be disappointed to not find any cows, but it’s the wrong time of year, and I’d hate for you to be stuck with something that would be a financial burden.”

The last thing she wanted to do was sit and have coffee when she had plans to make. But he hadn’t been anything but nice to them, and it would be rude to refuse. It was a small town, and she couldn’t afford to alienate anyone, even though all she wanted was to be left alone.

“That would be great, thank you.” Leah smiled at him, then looked over at her sister. “You don’t mind, do you?”

“Of course not. Though we should probably be doing the buying, considering he probably saved us thousands of dollars.”

Erin had a point, but Shane shook his head.

“A gentleman would never let the lady buy. Besides, it’s only a couple of cups of coffee. Though Della makes the best bear claws, and you should probably have one. I know I’m going to.” His grin warmed her. When he wasn’t looking at her like he thought she was the world’s worst mother or the biggest ignoramus to show up in town, he seemed almost...nice.

The lawyer did confirm that Shane had been a big help to Helen. Maybe, if they all got to know one another, they could be friends. Or at least friendly. It wouldn’t hurt to have a neighbor to call on in case of emergency. Not that she had any plans of relying on him, since she’d already promised herself never to depend on a man again.

“Then we must insist upon having you over for dinner sometime. Nicole has been bugging me to make my famous lasagna, so set a date, and we’ll have it.”

As he held the door open to the café, Shane gave her another encouraging smile. “Now that’s an offer I can’t refuse. I cook well enough that I don’t starve to death, but it’s been a long time since I’ve had homemade lasagna.”

“Leah’s is the best. I can’t tell you how many times I had her over at my house, trying to teach me. But mine was never as good. I’m sure she must put in some secret ingredient when my back is turned, but she’s always denied it.”

Leah laughed. “I promise I’ve always shown you exactly the way I do it. Maybe the difference is love. I could spend all day in the kitchen and be perfectly happy, whereas you spend so much time complaining and fussing that I’m sure it makes your food bitter.”

“Maybe,” Erin said. “But I still think you’re holding out on me.”

Smiling at their old argument, Leah felt Shane’s eyes on her. Erin had always been the pretty one, so why didn’t he focus on her instead? Was that why he was being so friendly? Because he saw Leah as a potential date? She was so not interested. A younger version of herself might have been, but she knew better now.

Though she sometimes questioned why Helen never remarried, Leah could understand how being burned would leave a person wary. Leah wasn’t sure she’d ever be able to trust a man again, let alone fall in love.

Inside the café, an older woman greeted them warmly. “Shane! Are these your sisters? I’m so glad to see that you finally have family visiting.”

Shane looked at them and shrugged, then shook his head. “No. They’re the ones who inherited Helen’s ranch. I’m helping them get settled. We’d like three coffees and bear claws, if you have any left.”

He hadn’t actually asked them if they wanted bear claws, but as Della lifted the domed lid off the tray, Leah wasn’t going to complain. It had been forever since she’d indulged in any kind of pastry because of how she limited the sugar her boys consumed. It didn’t seem fair to have treats for herself and deny them.

“It’s nice to meet you,” Della said as she put bear claws on plates. “I hope you’ll be sticking around Columbine Springs. I always hate it when people turn our ranches into vacation homes that never get lived in.”

Leah smiled. “My sisters and I plan on making this our home. I’m Leah, and this is my sister Erin. At home is my sister Nicole, and my two sons, Dylan and Ryan.”

“Wonderful. So nice to have more families coming to our town. What about your husband?”

An innocent question but, as always, it was a knife to her gut. “He’s dead.”

“Oh, I’m so sorry for your loss. Forgive me for assuming.”

The older woman looked so sad that Leah almost felt bad for having told her. “It’s okay. The boys had to have come from somewhere, didn’t they?”

She gave a small laugh, even though she didn’t feel much like laughing.

“True,” Della said. “Still, we’re glad to have you here. I hope you’ll be joining us at Faith Community Church on Sunday. Your family will find a warm welcome, and Pastor Jeff is a real man of God.”

The Colonel had made them go to stuffy, oppressive churches that were all about following the rules and being obedient. Those churches had all given them warm welcomes when they first arrived, but the warmth was quickly replaced with disapproval over every sin they committed. What would this church think when they found out about the last years of her marriage? When they saw how Dylan acted up? When they heard about Erin’s divorce or about Nicole’s fiancé leaving her at the altar, only to be killed in a car accident with her maid of honor?

As much as people talked about the love of God, not one person who had claimed to be a Christian had reached out to their family in comfort. Instead, they were all quick to point out what the women had done wrong in their lives to have deserved such punishment from God.

But before Leah could come up with an appropriate excuse, Erin asked, “Is that the church Helen went to?”

Leah looked at her sister. The women in Erin’s church had shunned her for her divorce. Why would she be so curious about this one?

“Yes. It was terrible when Helen got so sick, not having her there. Some of us would go to her house every Thursday for a Bible study, so she didn’t feel like she was missing out. The church was never the same.”

But Helen had been divorced. Why would this church be nice to her?

“I loved going to church with Helen when we were little,” Erin said. “I know it sounds crazy, but I always felt a tangible love from God when I was there.”

How Erin could still be open to going to church, Leah didn’t know. But she couldn’t begrudge her sister any happiness, not when Erin’s life had been so difficult over the past year. It was odd that Erin had lost the most of all the sisters, a beloved child, yet she still managed to be the most cheerful. Not the fake cheer that Leah found herself mustering up every single day for her sons, but there was something deep down in Erin that found a way to be happy despite everything.

Some days, Leah wished she could find a little of that for herself.

“I hope you’ll join us on Sunday,” Della said with a smile. “I know it will be an answer to Helen’s prayers.”

“We’d be delighted,” Erin answered for them both.

Leah had already told Erin that she had no intention of stepping inside a church ever again. But she wouldn’t argue with her sister here. In fact, she didn’t have the heart to argue with her at all. As usual, Leah would paste a smile on her face and do her best to make it through. At least until they kicked them out. Which they would, as soon as they met the boys.

Shane paid for their coffees and pastries and led them to an open table. Many of the other tables were full of men in cowboy hats talking over their own mugs of coffee. This was real ranch country, and it seemed so different after spending so many years in Denver.

“I know you had your hearts set on running the ranch. But Helen sold off the livestock and let things go into disrepair after her brother Norm died. She only kept a few chickens, and even the coop is no longer useable. It would take a lot of time and money to get everything back in working order.”

Of course it would. The two things they had the least of were the most necessary.

“We need to make a living,” Leah said.

Shane nodded. “When Helen was alive, she leased her land to me so I could run my cattle. It was enough for her to live on, though I suppose with more of you, it wouldn’t stretch as far. Still, it’s a fair amount of money and no work for you. I’d be happy to teach you what I know, and in the next year or so, you could decide if starting a ranch again would be worth the effort.”

It sounded almost too good to be true. The lawyer had asked them what they were going to do about Shane’s lease. This wasn’t a pity offer, but something Shane needed as badly as they did. From what the lawyer said, if Shane couldn’t graze on their land, he would have to buy hay, which was more expensive.

“What do we do about the shortfall?” Leah asked, looking at her sister. Leah had worked several jobs over the years, but it had been hard keeping them because her sons had been kicked out of too many day cares. That’s why running the ranch had been such a good idea. They could all work from home, and they wouldn’t need someone to watch the boys.

Not that the boys were Erin’s problem. Or Nicole’s. Which was why Leah hated the idea of having to find a job and asking her sisters to watch them.

“I could see if anyone needs an accountant,” Erin said. “I haven’t worked in a while, but I’ve kept up my CPA license.”

“If you’re serious, I know several ranchers, myself included, who could use your help.”

Erin smiled. “That would be great. I don’t like to complain, but I would appreciate having the mental challenge again. Sometimes it’s hard being alone with my own thoughts.”

Strange how her sister could be so different. All Leah wanted was the chance to be alone for a while. But she supposed they both had their own ways of dealing with pain.

“Great. If you give me your information, I’ll pass it around.” If Leah wanted to accuse Shane of merely tossing them a bone to get them to agree to lease their land, it wasn’t obvious by the look on his face.

Erin would tell her that she was being too cynical. And perhaps she was. But Leah had lost everything except her sons because of her blind faith in others.

As if he knew she wasn’t quite ready to trust him, Shane turned his attention back to Leah. “Helen and I always operated by handshake agreement, but I’m sure you’re expecting something more formal. My attorney is drawing up the papers for the lease. I’ll bring it by when it’s ready.”

He was going out of his way to be fair. But Leah also couldn’t bring herself to give him the same wide-eyed look her sister had. Perhaps the difference between Leah and Erin was that Leah’s life had been destroyed by someone she trusted, whereas Erin’s tragedy was simply one of those random terrible things that tears a person apart.

“That would be good, thanks,” she said. “You can bring them when you come to dinner.”

At least no one could accuse her of being inhospitable. But she hated the way he smiled at her, trying to make her like him. If she was honest with herself, there was probably a lot to like about Shane. But she’d been burned by too many smiles that said, “Trust me,” and she wasn’t willing to take a chance again.

Especially because she could feel tiny flutters of... No. She wasn’t going there.

To take her mind off the uneasy feeling in her stomach, she took a bite of the bear claw. It was every bit as good as she’d hoped. She looked around the small café, watching these cowboys, who were probably her neighbors, interact. Why couldn’t Shane be one of those older men with the handlebar moustaches that were so completely unattractive that she wouldn’t have a problem looking at him?

Fortunately, Erin started grilling him about the area, which took Shane’s attention off Leah. At least mostly. He still kept stealing glances at her like he was trying to figure her out or gauge her reactions. Like he cared about what she thought.

But that was one more distraction she didn’t want, either. All she wanted was to establish a new life for herself and her sons with her sisters. There was no room in her life for some cowboy.

She drained the rest of her coffee, then looked at her sister. “We should get back. The boys probably have Nicole tied up by now. And we should discuss what’s next with her.”

Erin nodded. “You’re right. We’ve tossed out ideas, but it’s not fair to not include her. I know she was really in love with the idea of having some Highland cows. And chickens.”

“And horses and goats,” Leah said, grinning. Nicole had been the most excited about having a ranch. She might hate the idea of leasing the land and not making a go of things on their own.

Shane stood and gathered their trash. “You can still have animals. I’d be happy to help repair the chicken coop. It shouldn’t take much since Helen had chickens up until about a year ago.”

There he went again, being helpful.

“Yes, it will,” Erin said. “And while we appreciate all your offers, we don’t want to take advantage. You’d be surprised at how capable we are of taking care of ourselves. Leah has already done a lot of work on the ranch. You wouldn’t believe how good she is with a set of tools. It’s amazing how much the three of us can do when we work together.”